16 August 2026
On His Shoulders and On His Heart
A Reflection on Exodus 28:5–30
As I continued my meditation through Exodus, I came to Exodus 28:5–30, where God gives Moses detailed instructions concerning the garments of the high priest.
There are so many details in this passage—the materials, colours, gold, precious stones, the ephod and the breastpiece. At first, they may seem like nothing more than detailed instructions about priestly clothing.
But as I continued reading, two things caught my attention.
The names of the people of Israel were to be carried on the priest’s shoulders. And their names were also to be carried over his heart.
That made me pause. Why the shoulders? Why the heart? And what could this teach me about caring for God’s people today?
Carrying Them on His Shoulders
God instructed Moses concerning the stones placed on the shoulders of the ephod:
“And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance.”
– Exodus 28:12 (ESV)
Whenever Aaron entered the presence of God, he carried the names of the twelve tribes with him. He did not come before God alone. He carried the people with him.
The shoulders speak to me of strength, responsibility and carrying. As I thought about this, an image from my own life came to my mind.
There have been times when my daughter has played and walked until she became tired. And when she could no longer continue, she would simply come to me and say: “Appa, carry me.”
She doesn’t ask me to explain why she is tired. She doesn’t ask me to teach her how to walk again. She simply trusts that her father can carry her when she cannot continue by herself.
That simple picture helped me see something differently. There are times when God’s people become tired too. There are times when someone becomes spiritually weak. Someone may be struggling with temptation, disappointment, fear, grief or discouragement. Someone may have fallen and not know how to get back up.
And sometimes, what that person needs is not another lecture. They need someone who can say: “Come. Let me carry you before the Lord.”
That is one of the beautiful responsibilities of spiritual care.
But Carrying Is Not the Same as Taking Christ’s Place
There is an important distinction here. The Old Testament priest carried the people before God, but ultimately, the sacrifices he offered pointed toward Jesus Christ.
A pastor, leader or fellow believer cannot take away another person’s sin. Only Christ can do that.
We cannot become a substitute for Jesus. But we can carry someone’s burden through prayer, encouragement, counsel, compassion and intercession.
Paul gives us a glimpse of this kind of ministry. He tells the Philippians:
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…”
– Philippians 1:3 (ESV)
And to the Thessalonians:
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers…”
– 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (ESV)
Paul was not simply preaching to people. He was carrying people before God. And perhaps that is something we sometimes forget. Ministry is not only about speaking to people about God. It is also about speaking to God about people.
Then God Shows Us Something Even More Beautiful
The shoulders were not the only place where the names were carried. The twelve names were also engraved on twelve precious stones in the breastpiece. And then we read:
“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD.”
– Exodus 28:29 (ESV)
This touched me deeply. The people were not merely on his shoulders. They were on his heart.
God could have stopped with the shoulders. But He didn’t. The priest was not called merely to carry the people. He was also called to love them.
And that gives me two simple pictures:
On the shoulders—responsibility. On the heart—love.
Responsibility Without Love Is Not Enough
It is possible to carry responsibility without carrying love. It is possible to serve people without really loving them. It is possible to manage a ministry, organise meetings, teach people and fulfil responsibilities, while slowly losing compassion for the people themselves.
But people are not ministry projects. They are not numbers. They are not attendance statistics. They are not simply people who help a ministry succeed. They are people whom God has entrusted to our care.
And if God has placed people in our lives, whether through ministry, family, friendship, work or any other relationship, we should learn to see them through the eyes of Christ.
What Happens When Someone Goes Astray?
This thought becomes even more challenging when someone we care for begins to struggle. It is easy to love someone when everything is going well. It is much harder when someone repeatedly makes mistakes, refuses correction, or slowly moves away from God.
We may become frustrated and think: “I already told him. I have tried so many times. She never listens.”
But when I think about Jesus, I see a different heart. Jesus spoke about the shepherd who had one sheep wander away. The shepherd did not simply say, “I still have ninety-nine. Let that one go.” He went looking for the one. And when he found it, he rejoiced.
That is the heart of the Good Shepherd. The question is not: “Why is this person making my ministry difficult?” The question is: “How can I help this person come back to Christ?”
Sometimes that requires patience. Sometimes encouragement. Sometimes prayer. Sometimes truth. Sometimes even correction. But even correction should come from love, not irritation, pride or superiority.
Carrying People Without Judging Them
There is another danger I see in myself. When someone repeatedly struggles, it is easy to form an opinion about that person: “I know what kind of person he is. She will never change. He always does this.”
But once we begin looking at someone through our own judgement, we may forget that God is still working in that person’s life. And we also forget something very important: I too am someone who needs grace.
Paul says:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
– Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
He doesn’t say, judge one another’s burdens. He doesn’t say, mock one another’s weakness. He says: “Bear one another’s burdens.”
That is the shoulder. And the love of Christ is the heart.
The Heart of a Shepherd
When I read Paul’s letters, I can see how deeply he carried God’s people. He remembered them in prayer. He thanked God for them. He longed to see them. He was concerned when they were struggling. He rejoiced when they grew.
This was not ministry from a distance. He wasn’t simply delivering information. He was carrying people in his heart.
At one point, Paul says to the Corinthians:
“I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:15 (ESV)
That is such a different way of looking at ministry. Not: “What can these people do for me?” But: “What can I give for their spiritual good?”
And Then I See Jesus
But even Paul is not the ultimate example. Jesus is.
Aaron carried the names of Israel on his shoulders. Jesus carried our sin to the cross. Aaron carried the names of God’s people on his heart. Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us.
Romans 5:8 says:
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
– Romans 5:8 (ESV)
Just think about that. Jesus did not wait until we became worthy of being loved. He loved us while we were still sinners. He did not abandon us when we were weak. He came to us. He did not merely tell us that we were lost. He came looking for us.
And even now, Hebrews 7:25 tells us that:
“He always lives to make intercession for them.”
– Hebrews 7:25 (ESV)
Jesus still carries His people before the Father. What a beautiful picture of the heart of Christ.
We Are Not the Destination
This also reminds me of something very important about Christian ministry. If God has entrusted people to us, our responsibility is not to make them dependent on us. It is to help them become more dependent on Jesus.
We are not the destination. Jesus is. We are not the mediator. Jesus is. We are not the ultimate shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Peter calls Him:
“the chief Shepherd.”
– 1 Peter 5:4 (ESV)
So we should never think: “These are my people.” Instead, we should remember: “These are Christ’s people, and He has entrusted them to my care.” That thought changes everything. It brings humility. It brings responsibility. And it brings love.
A Burden of Love
When God entrusts people to us, caring for them may sometimes feel like a burden. Sometimes it may mean praying for someone when they don’t even know we are praying. Sometimes it may mean patiently counselling someone again. Sometimes it may mean visiting someone who is suffering. Sometimes it may mean correcting someone who is going in the wrong direction. Sometimes it may mean encouraging someone who is ready to give up. Sometimes it may simply mean sitting beside someone who is hurting. And sometimes it may mean rejoicing quietly when we see someone growing in Christ.
This is more than a responsibility. It is a burden of love.
What Are the Names I Am Carrying?
As I continued meditating on these verses, I could not help but make this personal. I asked myself:
Who are the people God has placed on my shoulders? Who needs my prayers? Who needs encouragement? Who is tired? Who is struggling? Who is slowly drifting away? Who needs someone to walk beside them?
And then I asked another question: Whose name is on my heart? Because it is possible to carry responsibility without love. It is possible to serve without caring deeply about a person’s soul.
But the picture God gave the priest was different. The names were on his shoulders. And they were on his heart.
Perhaps this is the Hineni response I hear in this passage: “Lord, here I am. Give me the shoulders to carry the weak and the heart to love the people You have entrusted to me.” Teach me not to look down on those who are struggling. Teach me not to become frustrated with those who repeatedly fall. Teach me not to judge those who have wandered. Teach me to pursue them with the heart of the Good Shepherd. When they cannot walk, help me carry them. When they are discouraged, help me strengthen them. When they wander, help me seek them. When they fall, help me restore them gently. When they grow, help me rejoice with them. And above everything else, remind me: They are not mine. They belong to You. You have entrusted them to me only for a time. So help me serve them faithfully. If Jesus carries me on His heart, am I carrying others on mine? That question stays with me. Jesus carried me when I was weak. Jesus loved me when I was undeserving. Jesus sought me when I was lost. Jesus intercedes for me even now. How can I receive such love from Him and refuse to carry others? Perhaps this is what true Christian service looks like: Strong shoulders to carry. A compassionate heart to love. Wisdom to guide. Humility to serve. Faithfulness to intercede. And above all, the heart of Jesus Christ. Hineni, Lord. Here I am. Let me carry Your people on my shoulders and hold them in my heart—not for my name, not for my position, not for recognition, but for Your glory and for the sake of their souls. Amen.
Hineni
Super